This is for every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality, and refuses to accept assessments, tests and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning.

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Sunday, August 9, 2015

NJ BATs DC Lobbying Notes

Thinking
back about the lobbying appointments that we attended in D.C. it is
hard to differentiate between what one person from another. There
seemed to be an overall theme to everyone's conversations that I have
outlined below.

Identified
that the new rewrites roll back a lot of what Race to the Top had set
into motion.

It
ends the high stakes nature of the testing. There will be no more
scores tied to evaluations. Education will be renewed with the
purpose of civil rights.

However,
testing is a reality that still has to exist but it will now be one
of 5 tools used for measurement.

Each
state will be able to apply for a grant to assist them in analyzing
the amount of testing that currently occurs in schools and find ways
to reduce that amount.

A
new state accountability system will come in. No more AYP (Annual
Yearly Progress)

Schools
will be required to identify low performing subgroups to target and
address. There will not be a mandated approach to the remedy.

More
flexibility will be called to for testing windows.

There
will be more flexibility with CCSS.

Test
will not be dictated. States will be able to write their own tests.

Role
of corporations in education

They
have a role as a partner in ways to benefit students through
providing career training and internships. Mentioned Booker's
amendment to facilitate such a partnership. Information about Senator
Bookers belief in Career Technical Education (CTE) specific schools
as well as high schools coordinating with colleges for transition.

Pension

Menendez
- A firm statement that
the Senator is on the side of the public workers. He once voted
against a Federal budget that tried to strip pensions.

Civil
Rights and Testing

Mention
given to NAACP as the leading force behind lobbying for annual
testing. A lot of effort, time and money had been spent for their
campaign. We had to question where that money came from, but
legislative aides did not seem to see the connections.

Charter
Schools

Conversations included what the original purpose of charter schools
were, according to Al Shanker's vision, as a place for education to
grow and develop outside of the confines of state regulations. Slight
agreement that perhaps this purpose has been forgotten.

Special
Education

Only
office that seemed concerned with special needs students was
Congressman Smith's office. Discussion surrounding issues of blanket
push-out and denial of services. All parties agreed on the need for
early intervention and transition services.

Our
talking points that were not really addressed.

The
actual validity of testing itself. This conversation was skirted
around. There is still the unshakable belief that standardized
testing is necessary to hold schools accountable.

How
will we hold schools accountable for spending available funding in
ways that will actually help students and not to consultants etc? No
real answers were given. The federal government does not have that
power.

How
do we hold the states accountable when private interests permeate the
decision making that is done for our schools?

Reflections:
Testing seemed to be the overall focus of everyone's conversations.
When attempts were made to steer the conversation in other
directions, not much discussion followed. Legislative assistants
seemed to be working from an outlined set of talking points to
address the ECAA amendments.